Illuminated multiple pushbutton operating mechanism for electrical switch assembly



April 4, 1967 J. F. WALDORF ETAL 3,

ILLUMINATED MULTIPLE PUSHBUTTON OPERATING MECHANISM FOR ELECTRICAL SWITCH ASSEMBLY 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 24, 1966 April 4, 1967 J. F. WALDORF ET ILLUMINATED MULT PLE PUSHBUTTON OP FOR E CTRICAL SWITCH A I LE SSEM Filed Feb. 24, 1966 AL 3,312,806 ERAT MECHANISM Y 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 \\\\\\\u? I I n23 United States Patent G 3,312,806 ILLUMINATEI) MULTIPLE PUSHBUTTON GPER- ATING MECHANISM FOR ELECTRICAL SWITCH ASSEMBLY Joseph F. Waldorf, New Berlin, Marian M. Rzepeckl, Milwaukee, and Allan P. Charbonneau, Wauwatosa, Wis., assignors to Cutler-Hammer, Inc., Milwaukee,

Wis., a corporation of Delaware Filed Feb. 24, 1966, Ser. No. 529,781 6 Claims. (Cl. 200-167) This invention relates to pushbutton operated illuminated electrical switch assemblies and more particularly to illuminated switch assemblies having multiple pushbuttons. arranged together withthe illuminating means in a unitary compact structure suitable for one-hole mountin As electrical control systems increase in complexity, the space required by control elements becomes increasingly critical and the functional efficiency of control operators and indicators becomes more important. Therefore, it has become desirable in panel mounted electrical control equipment to provide the maximum of switching and indicating functions in the smallest practical panel area. It is also desirable to accomplish these objectives in devices having the operating ease and the indicating and safety advantages of pushbutton operated apparatus.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a pushbutton operated switch assembly having illuminating means and multiple pushbutton operators combined in a unitary device of the one-hole mounting variety.

It is another object of the invention to provide a switch assembly of the aforedescribed type having latching means and interlocking means for the pushbuttons.

It is still another object of the invention to provide an easily assembled and compact structure for the pushbutton latching and releasing mechanism.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be evident to those skilled in the art upon reference to the following description and claims.

While the devices hereinafter described are adapted to fulfill the objects stated, it is to be understood that it is not intended that the invention be confined to the particular preferred embodiments disclosed since they are susceptible of various modifications the scope of the invention. p In the accompanying drawings:

without departing from FIGURE 1, a front elevation view of a pushbutton electrical switch assembly embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a partially sectional view taken on line 22 of FIG. 1; a

FIG. 3 is a partially sectional view taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary. sectional view taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a front elevation view of a modification of the invention;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 6'6 of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 7 is a partially sectional view taken on line 7-7 of FIG. 6.

Referring to the drawings, the electrical switch assembly comprises a pushbutton adapter 2, a mounting device 3, an illuminating assembly 4, and a pair of identical contact blocks 5 and 6. The version illustrated in FIG. 1

has two pushbuttons 7 and 8 reciprocally mounted within a unitary die cast retainer or frame 9. The retainer 9 is adapted to be mounted within a circular holein a panel 10. For this purpose, the rearwardly extending portion of retainer 9 is in the form of a cylindrical bushing 11 having threads 12 formed on the outer surface thereof. Bushing 11 extends through panel and a nut 13 is 3,312,806 Patented Apr. 4, v l 967 turned upon threads 12 to tighten retainer 9 to panel 10.

' A resilient sealing ring 14 is placed between retainer 9 and 6. A die cast button and the front side of panel 10 to prevent passage of liquids through the aperture in panel 10. A key 15 is formed on bushing 11 to register with a keyway formed in the otherwise circular aperture in panel 10 to prevent rotation of retainer 9.

The portion of retainer 9 in front of panel 10 is of a square shape defined by four walls 16. The cavity formed by walls 16 is open at the front and is of a depth behind pushbuttons 7 and 8 sufficient to allow pushbuttons 7 and 8 to be depressed to actuate contact blocks 5 guide 17 is set within the frontal cavity of retainer 9 and has two side walls 17a and 17b and two end Walls'17c and 17d. Button guide rests upon a generally rectangular raised portion 18 which is situated between buttons 7 and 8 and substantially traverses the cavity between opposite walls 16 and is an integral part of retainer 9. Button guide 17 is fastened to retainer by peening over four rivet portions 19 formed on raised portion 18 which engage corresponding indentation in a pair of opposite ribs 20 extending inwardly from the bases of walls 17c and 17d.

Each of pushbuttons 7 and 8 are reciprocally mounted within retainer 9. Pushbutton 7 is mounted on a plate 21 by means of integral resilient lugs 22 which snap over opposite sides of plate 21. Plate 21 is riveted to the end of a pushrod 23 which extends rearwardly through an aperture 24 in retainer 9. Pushrod 23 reciprocates freely within aperture 24. A resilient sealing ring 25 is set in retainer 9 and surrounds pushrod 23 to prevent passage of fluids through aperture 24. A washer 26 covers sealing ring 25. A compression spring 27 surrounds pushrod 23 between washer 26 and plate 21 to provide a return force to pushbutton 7. A shoulder 28 is formed on pushrod 23 to engage the rear surface of retainer 9, and thereby limit the forward movement of pushrod 23. The mechanism associated with pushbutton 8 is similar to that of pushbutton 7. Pushbutton 8 is attached to a plate 29 which is'in turn riveted to the end of pushrod 30. A seal 31 surrounds pushrod 30 and a washer 32 covers seal 31. A compression spring 33 pro? vides a return force to pushbutton 8.

Interlocking means are provided for preventing the simultaneous depression of pushbuttons 7 and 8. This interlocking means comprises a rocker interlock 34 pivotally mounted within a through the raised portion 18 of retainer 9. Interlock 34 is pivotally supported by a pair of journals 36 which extend from the center of interlock 34 on opposite sides thereof. Journals 36 are supported within a corresponding pair of bearing slots 37 formed in the opposite sides of slot 35. The rounded ends of interlock 34 extend through openings in walls 17a and 17b to the cavities under pushbuttons 7 and 8. As one or the other of pushbuttons 7 or 8 is depressed, the depressed pushbutton engages and depresses one end of interlock 34 as shown in FIG. 4. The other end of interlock 34 rises to prevent depression of the other pushbutton. Simultaneous depression of pushbuttons 7 and 8 can thereby be prevented.

The illuminating assembly 4 is attached to the end of bushing 11 by means of the mounting device 3. Mounting device 3 comprises a housing 38 fastened to a rear plate 39 and a latch ring 40 held rotatably therebetween. A slotted shaft 41 is rotatably mounted on rear plate and drives a gear sector 42 which engages the periphery of latch ring 40 to rotate latch ring 40 within housing 38. A pair of lugs 43 on the inner diameter of latch ring 40 engage a corresponding pair of slots 44 in bushing 11 (FIG. 3) when latch ring 40 is rotated to thereby firmly secure mounting device 3 to bushing 11. Illuminating device 4 is fastened to rear plate 39 by two screws, one of slot 35 which extends transversely 'luminating unit 4. Retainer rings which is shown as screw 45 in FIG. 3. Mounting device 3 and the method of assembly using this device are more fully described in the copending application, Ser. No. 520,444, filed Jan. 13, 1966, by Roy A. Mukai, Allan P. Charbonneau, Joseph F. Waldorf and Robert Pearson, and assigned to the present assignee.

Illuminating unit 4 is of the general type described in the Joseph F. Waldorf Patent No. 3,231,706, issued Jan. 25, 1966, and assigned to the present assignee. The illuminating unit includes a small incandescent lamp 52 and a two-coil voltage reducing transformer 47 for supplying current to filament of the lamp. Transformer 47 is molded into a generally rectangular molded housing 48. The primary winding of transformer 47 is supplied with alternating current through terminals 49.

An integrally molded lamp base 50 extends from the front of housing 48. A socket 51 is formed therein to accommodate an incandescent lamp 52 of the slide base type. The lamp 52 and lamp base 50 extend to the front of retainer 9 through a central aperture 53 extending axially through bushing 11 and opening at the front of retainer 9 in the center of raised portion 18. A transparent lens 54 isthreaded into the front end of aperture 53. A resilient sealing ring 55 is placed between the back end of lens 54 and retainer 9 to prevent passage of liquid through aperture 53. A translucent color cap or lens 56 of rectangular shape is placed over lens 54. Color cap 56 is shaped with a central thickened portion to provide uniform illumination over the front surface of cap 56. Cap 56 is mounted by means of a pair of opposite integral resilient tabs 57 which snappingly engage a corresponding pair of recesses in walls 170 and 17d of button guide 17.

The two contact blocks and 6 are of a general type which is well known and more completely described in the aforementioned copending application Serial No. 520,444. These contact blocks 5 and 6 are reciprocally aotuable by depression of plungers (not shown) which extend to the exterior of the blocks through the front face of the blocks. Blocks 5 and 6 are mounted side-by-side to the rear side of the illuminating unit 5 by screws 58 which screw into the end of the corresponding screw 45 in the illuminating unit as shown in FIG. 3. This is a conventional method of stacking tandemly mounted electrical units.

In order that the reciprocatory movement of pushrods 23 and 30 in the adapter unit 2 may be transmitted tothe plungers of contact blocks 5 and 6, a pair of reciprocally movable pusher pins 59 are freely mounted within a pair of holes 60 which extend through the housing 48 of ilhousing 48.

FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 illustrate a modified version of the adapter unit. The elements which are equivalent to those previously described are similarly numbered. This modified form'includes latching means for each of the main pushbuttons 62 and 63 which are similar to pushbuttons 7 and 8 but shorter in length to accommodate the additional latch releasing pushbuttons 64 and 65 in the front face of the retainer 9. The button guide 17 is modified by the addition of two short integral walls 17e and 17 and two integral rectangular plates 17g and 17h. Plates 17g and 17h extend from the adjacent walls of guide 17 at the rear of button guide 17 and extend partially across the space behind release pushbuttons 64 and 65. A pair of slotted pins 66 and 67 are attached, respectively, to plates 17g and 17h and extend toward the front of the adapter within the respective cavities of buttons 64 and 65. A pair of pins 68 extend transversely through pushbuttons 64 and 65 and through the slots of pins 66 and 67 to retain buttons 64 and 65 within the adapter. A pair of compression springs 69 are placed on pins 66 and 67 to provide return force to pushbuttons 64 and 65. At the back of each of pushbuttons 64 and 65 there is formed an angled camming surface 70 (FIG. 6).

Pushbuttons 62 and 63 are respectively mounted on plates, such as plate 71 in FIG. 6, which are in turn riveted 61 hold pins 59 in the to the ends of pushrods. These plates are slotted to accommodate the forwardly extending hook-like portions of latch members 72 and 73. P'ushbuttons 62 and 63 have slots 74 on the rear sides thereof to provide clearance for the ends of latch members 72 and 73. Latch members 72 and 73 bear a mirror image relation to one another and respectively terminate behind release pushbuttons 64 and 65 in cam follower members 75 and 76. Latch members slide from left to right and vice versa with reference to FIG. 6. Walls 17e and 17 f are countoured at their back edges to loosely fit the shape of latch membens 72 and 73 where the latch members pass through the walls. Walls 17e and 17 1 thereby serve to slidingly retain the cam follower ends of latch members 72 and 73 within the retainer 9. The other ends are slidingly held by a pair of L-shaped plates 77 and 78 which are riveted to retainer 9 and extend in cantilever fashion over the respective ends of latch members 72 and 73. A pair of compression springs 79 and 80 provide a members 72 and 73 into latching engagement with plates 71. Spring 79 is placed into latching engagement with plates 71. Spring 79 is placed between walls 17e and cam follower 75. Similarly, spring 80 is placed between wall 17 f and cam follower 76.

As best illustrated in FIG. 6, depression of pushbutton 62 from its released position causes plate 71 to engage an angled edge 81 of member toward the left against the bias of spring 79. When pushbutton 62 is depressed sufficiently, plate 71 engages a slot 82 in latch 72. Latch 72 then moves to the right under the influence of spring 79 and plate 71 becomes latched in a depressed position by engagement with slot 82.

Release of pushbutton 62 is accomplished by depression of release pushbutton 64 against the force of spring 69. Cam surface 70 engages the cam follower member 75 to move latch 72 out of engagement with plate 71.

The latch and release mechanisms for pushbutton 63 operate in the same manner as the equivalent mechanisms for pushbutton 62.

We claim:

1. An illuminated unitary compact electrical switch assembly of the one-hole mounting variety comprising:

a retainer member having a front and a back, and adapted to be mounted in a hole in a mounting panel;

an illuminating unit comprising:

a housing portion fastened retainer member;

alamp;

a lamp base portion integrally formed with said housing portion and extending from the front thereof through an aperture in said retainer member to hold said lamp in position at the front of said retainer member; and

means in said housing for providing electrical current to said lamp;

first and second reciprocally actuable electrical switch to the back of said units mounted on the back of said illuminating unit;

first pushbuton means extending through and reciprocally mounted within said retainer and manually operable from the front of said retainer;

second pushbutton means extending through and reciprocally mounted within said retainer and manually operable from the front of said retainer;

first connecting means providing an operating connection between said first pushbutton means and said first electrical switch unit; and

second connecting means providing an operating connection between said second pushbutton means and said second electrical switch unit.

2. An illuminated unitary compact electrical switch assembly of the one-hole mounting variety comprising:

a retainer member having a front'and a back, and adapted to be mounted in a hole in a mounting panel;

force tending to bias latch 72 to thereby cam member 72 an illuminating unit comprising:

a lamp;

a lamp base portion integrally formed with said housing portion and extending from the front thereof through an aperture located centrally in said retainer member to hold said lamp in position at the front of said retainer member; and

means in'said housing for providing electrical current to said lamp;

first and second reciprocally actuable electrical switch units mounted side-by-side on the back of said illuminating unit;

first pushbutton means extending through and reciprocally mounted within said retainer at one side of said lamp and manually operable from the front of said retainer;

second pushbutton means extending through and reciprocally mounted within said retainer at the opposite side of said lamp and manually operable from the front of said retainer;

first connecting means providing an operating connection between said first pushbutton means and said first electrical switch unit; and

second connecting means providing an operating connection between said second pushbutton means and said second electrical switch unit.

3. The invention as defined in claim 2 together with interlocking means extending between said first and sec- 0nd pushbutton means and mounted within said retainer on a third side of said lamp for inter-locking the operation of said first and second pushbutton means to prevent simultaneous depression of said first and second pushbutton means.

4. The invention as defined in-claim 3 in which said,

interlocking means comprises a lever pivoted at its center on said retainer between said first and second pushbutton means and providing mechanical connection between said first and second pushbutton means.

5. The invention as defined in claim 2, in which each of said first and second pushbutton means has a depressed position and a released position and together with:

means biasing said first bushbutton means to its released position; means biasing said second released position;

latching means mounted within said retainer for latching said first pushbutton means in its depressed position; and

latch releasing means releasing said. latching means and allowing said first pushbutton means to return to its released position comprising pushbutton means reciprocally mounted within said retainer adjacent said first pushbutton means and manually operable from the front of said retainer.

6. The invention as defined in claim 5, together with:

second latching means mounted within said retainer latching said sec-0nd pushbutton means in its depressed position; and

second latch releasing means releasing said second latching means and allowing said second pushbutton means to return to its released position comprising a pushbutton means reciprocally mounted within said retainer adjacent said second pushbutton means and manually operable from the front of said retainer.

pushbutton means to its References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,357,972 9/1944 Robbins 20o s 3,231,706 1/1966 Waldorf 200-467 3,269,209 8/1966 Davis 200-5 ROBERT K. SCHAEFER, Primary Examiner.

H. O. JONES, Assistant Examiner. 

1. AN ILLUMINATED UNITARY COMPACT ELECTRICAL SWITCH ASSEMBLY OF THE ONE-HOLE MOUNTING VARIETY COMPRISING: A RETAINER MEMBER HAVING A FRONT AND A BACK, AND ADAPTED TO BE MOUNTED IN A HOLE IN A MOUNTING PANEL; AN ILLUMINATING UNIT COMPRISING: A HOUSING PORTION FASTENED TO THE BACK OF SAID RETAINER MEMBER; A LAMP; A LAMP BASE PORTION INTEGRALLY FPRMED WITH SAID HOUSING PORTION AND EXTENDING FROM THE FRONT THEREOF THROUGH AN APERTURE IN SAID RETAINER MEMBER TO HOLD SAID LAMP IN POSITION AT THE FRONT OF SAID RETAINER MEMBER; AND MEANS IN SAID HOUSING FOR PROVIDING ELECTRICAL CURRENT TO SAID LAMP; FIRST AND SECOND RECIPROCALLY ACTUABLE ELECTRICAL SWITCH UNITS MOUNTED ON THE BACK OF SAID ILLUMINATING UNIT; FIRST PUSHBUTON MEANS EXTENDING THROUGH AND RECIPROCALLY MOUNTED WITHIN SAID RETAINER AND MANUALLY OPERABLE FROM THE FRONT OF SAID RETAINER; SECOND PUSHBOTTOM MEANS EXTENDING THROUGH AND RECIPROCALLY MOUNTED WITHIN SAID RETAINER AND MANUALLY OPERABLE FROM THE FRONT OF SAID RETAINER; FIRST CONNECTING MEANS PROVIDING AN OPERATING CONNECTTION BETWEEN SAID FIRST PUSHBUTTON MEANS AND SAID FIRST ELECTRICAL SWITCH UNIT; AND SECOND CONNECTING MEANS PROVIDING AN OPERATING CONNECTION BETWEEN SAID SECOND PUSHBUTTON MEANS AND SAID SECOND ELECTRICAL SWITCH UNIT. 